Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-01-07

ter, at the same time, saw - q
freight engine and giving
of whistles for brakes, he Z
gine and jumped for his ...shinp
through the window of ths cab. carrying
glass and sash ws'h him and alightinr ii
a hesvy sno,. drit.. lie escaped serious
injury, his hurts being confined 10 =
slight wound upon his knee. As he real
ICED the danger he called to the fireman,
William Fredericks, TO save himself.
The latter was engaged in stoking the
fire and rose up and hesitated moment
TO glance forward, as if to eetimAte
the danger. This act was fatal, as IT
that instant the crash came and poor
Fredericks was pinned and
CRUSHED by THE MASS OF WRECK.
The effects of the collision can be better
imagined than described. The engines
or the two trains reared into the air like
pair of enraged living monsters, and
then settled down upon the track driven
INTO each other until their cylinders
touched. The force was so great that il
damned the baggage car into the tender
OF the fast train, the express car into the
baggage, and the smoker into the express,
In less than five minutes from the mo-
ment of the collision or before any
| orgssized effort at rescue could be made
the fire of the overturned stoves COM
| municated TO the woodwork and the flames
leaped high in the air, their roar miugl,
ing with the cries of anguish of the i'm
prlsone9 victims to whom death in its
most terrible form was horrid presence.
The train men and uninjured passengers
were po1erless and could do nothing to
rescue.the sufferers. The express train was
III charge of Conductor Tom. Haskel and
Engineer Lem. Eastman, and Fireman
Wm. Frsderieks, and consisted Of the
engine, mail and baggage car, cypress,
smoker, coach and two sleepers.
The freight train was in charge of
Conductor Fletcher, Engineer Killer, and
Fireman w. j, Cullison, and consisted of
an engine and l6 loaded and a few empty
gondolas. The smoker contained from
II to Is passengers, one of whom were
immigrants. Three men escaped alive,
but their nanses wore not learned. Bag
gagemaster W. +. Gates, of Newark, was
the only man IN his car, and he was hurt
in both legs, the left leg being cut in sew
eral places, and splinter of the rod had
run into his right foot
c. 7. Bradley of Washington, was
found hanging from window of the
smoker but his legs were fast and he could
not be removed, There he remained nm.
I'll he was
BURNED TO DEATH
and his charred remains fell To the ground
a black and shareless mass. He was con
sclous and gave his address to the by
ISLANDERS snd also said he was an officer
IN the Knights of Labor organization.
lie gave his watch and other valuable he
could get from his pockets to Conductor
Fletcher, of the freight train.
Joseph Postlethwaite, aged 81, and his
sons Spencer, aged is, and Henry, aged
IL, were sitting in the same seat in the
smoker, and their charred remains were
found in the ruins of the cars. Postleth-
waite, his wife, two boys, 7-year old
girl by former wife, little boy five
years old and baby girl of two years,
had sold their farm in Welzell county,
W, Va, and were moving to Chillicothe,
Mo-, near where Postlethwaite had broth
er living and where he would make his fu-
ture home. He had about $500 in cash,
a check for 5000 and several note. in his
possession, and these were
BURNED WITH HIS BODY,
leaving the poor widow with three chill
dren, no clothing except what she wore,
and fifty cents in money. Her husband
and two boys had left her but few min
utes before and gone from the coach to
the smoker, Postlethwaite, as half
melted medal found in the wreck indi-
Gates, was soldier in the nnion ranks in
the late war, being member of compa-
ny A, 18th regiment West Virginia volun
teer Infantry.
VIM. Frcdericks, fireman of the express,
Al Al
engine and lived for two hours, but it was
found impossible to effect his release
His mother is a widow and lives in Wash
ington. He was member of the broth
erhood of fremen, which organization
took charge of his remains, which were
removed to Chamberlain's undertaking
establishment and prepared for bu 'ial.
His face in death depicted
THE AGONY OF MS suFFERIEas,
before death came TO his relief NJ. II.
Parks, whose address could not be leai ned,
was also wedged in the wreck and burned
TO death, after handing his money, letters,
etc, to one of the railroud employees.
His body was consumed, as we're those of
several others, whose names are not
known, and perhaps never will be. At
the scene of the holocauBt at one o'clock
to-day, the ruins of the baggage car, ex
press and smoking coaches were still
burning.
Here and there could be soen spots of
blood and pieces of half burned and
frozen human flesh, and the workmen
were still finding portion of the bodies
in the burning wreck. All the mail, ex-
press and baggage was burned, includ-
ing large sums of money. The scene at
Chamberlain's establishment was one cal
culatod to make the stoutest heart quell.
NINE sHAPELEss BODIES
lay stretched in row like so many
charred logs. There were Postethwaite
and his two sons, side by side, and seven
others, none of whom could be recognized.
Near them mass of flesh and bone that
may have been parts of the bodies of a
dozen different people.
At the depot was found VIM. f. Smith,
of Wgynesboro, Pa, who was in the coach
next to the sleepers. He was sitting in
the front p."rt of tho car, aud when the
collision occurred he was thrown violent
ly against the front door of the car, but
was not injured in the least. He said he
did not think there had been collision,
but that the train had run off the track.
He helped the ladies in the car to gather
up their wraps, and said that when he
went back TO his seat to get his hat he
noticed that the smoker was in flames and
saw an immigrant jump from the car
through the roof and wall of flames. He
said no one in the coach was hurt seri-
ously, ono man had his hand burned
slightly by falling against the stove.
After getting out Of the car he helped TO
uncouple the two sleepers and push them
down the track so they would not burn.
He then picked up Postlethwaite's little
girl who was wandering about in the snow
and carried her to the depot at Republic.
w. s. Price, baggage master, was burned
to a crisp. His home Is at Wheeling
There were no doubt many more who
perished in the wreck as the number of
persons who escaped and the remains re-
covered is not squal to the number re-
ported in tie car. The number actually
lost may never be knoyn.
Where to Rest the Blame Matter Of Con.
lecture.
CIscIssATI, Jan. 4.-The Commercial
Gazette's Tifiin special reports diversity
of opinion regarding the real cause Of
the accident. Reports agree that there
was carlessness on the part of the rail
road employees, but whether the blame
should be attached to the freight or pas
senger crew is matter of conjecture.
thorough investigation will be made.
The coroners have taken charge OF the
dead.
rs -